But if the new crop of ads from Hollywood is any indication, Madison Avenue needn’t worry too much. The difference in CAA’s work compared with that of Coke’s former ad agency, McCann-Erickson, lies mostly in its hipper, more youth-oriented ads. Gone is the Wally Cleaver earnestness of previous Coke spots set on Little League fields and in Connecticut kitchens. The new spots successfully draw on some of that 1950s nostalgia. (The original Coke logo, which appears in many of the spots, is as powerful as Elvis.) But the results are mixed and not always original. Much of the new campaign (with the tag line “Always Coca-Cola”) is derivative, suggesting elements of Nike, Budweiser, Pepsi and British beer commercials when it’s not copying MTV outright.
But no one can accuse Ovitz and Co. of not offering something for everyone. With 26 spots, this is the ad version of the multiplex cinema. Messages are not only tailored to diverse groups but also to specific TV shows and even the four seasons. Herewith, a sampling of the commercials and how they rate:
Will the new Coke commercials spur throngs of advertisers to head for Hollywood? Not likely. The ads are, in many cases, refreshing and surprising. And they reflect a variety of age groups and lifestyles. But they also point up a curious irony: in striving for diversity, Coke has become a lot like everyone else.
